As information technology continues to advance and become more widespread, the ability to efficiently manage content and data (collectively, “content”) associated with the technology is increasingly important. Some examples of ways content is currently delivered to users are through the use of satellite, cable, the Internet, Ethernet, local area networks, wide area networks, wireless communication (including Bluetooth, infrared, radio frequency and ultra-high frequency transmissions), and other data transmission mechanisms, schemes and configurations (collectively referred to herein as “networks”). Content may be received on a device such as a set-top box (STB), personal video recorder (PVR), personal computer (PC), mobile phone, handheld computing device, personal digital assistant, television, audiovisual receiver, stereo system, radio and so forth. Content can include audiovisual data such as an entertainment program, a content display program, a utility program, a product support program, a game, entertainment data, advertisement data, music data, pictures or a movie. Content can also include non-audiovisual data such as data files and so forth.
For illustrative purposes only, personal video recorders (PVRs) will be primarily discussed herein, although it should be understood the following discussion may be applied equally to other devices capable of receiving and/or storing content. PVRs or digital video recorders are devices that are capable of storing programming on a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk and playing back the programming on a display device, such as a television. Many PVRs can store at least thirty hours of programming, thus allowing a large number of television shows, movies and the like to be recorded. PVRs may list recorded content in chronological order. Therefore, a PVR that can store fifty hours of programming could have up to one hundred half-hour shows listed in chronological order, making it difficult for the user to find their desired content.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved method and system for managing digital content.